Biomedical subjects

Edita Stokić

Publications and source records attributed to Edita Stokić.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Body mass index, body fat mass and the occurrence of amenorrhea in ballet dancers.

To evaluate the connection between menstrual disorders and body fat mass, we examined a group of 30 ballet dancers and a group of 30 non-athletic girls (controls). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and percent body fat (FAT%) was measured using the bioelectrical impedance method. A questionnaire was used to obtain age at menarche and duration of menstrual cycles. Ballet dancers had significantly lower values of BMI (18.56 +/- 1.53 vs. 19.96 +/- 2.12 kg/m2) and FAT% (18.85 +/- 4.50 vs. 23.41 +/- 4.34%) compared with controls. According to BMI, 50.0% of ballet dancers and 23.3% of the control group were underweight. Of underweight ballet dancers, 66.7% had lower values of body fat, while most underweight girls from the control group had normal body fat. Normal-weight obesity was registered in 40.9% of the control group and in 6.7% of ballet dancers. Amenorrhea was found in 20.0% and oligomenorrhea in 10.0% of ballet dancers. Ballet dancers more frequently had later appearance of menarche and menstrual cycles of longer duration than did non-athletic girls. A significant negative correlation was found between menstrual cycle duration and FAT% among ballet dancers (r = -0.415). To prevent complications caused by changes of body fat mass, we conclude that body composition assessment in ballet dancers is very important.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Are drugs necessary in the treatment of obesity?].

INTRODUCTION: The main principles of obesity treatment are dietetic nutrition, physical activity and psychotherapy. Drug therapy is adjuvant, time limited and can be applied only with the mentioned therapeutic measures. An ideal antiadipose agent induces a potent decrease of body mass on the account of fat depot, it can be administered for a prolonged time without developing resistance, it should not be accompanied by significant side effects, and it has no negative effects on the obesity-related diseases. ANTI-OBESITY AGENTS: Nowadays, there are mainly two groups of drugs in use, having different mechanisms of action: appetite suppressors and fat resorption inhibitors. From the first group of drugs the most suitable is dexfenfluramine, which is applied in obese nervous and tense subjects and in cases of compulsive food intake whereas fat resorption inhibitors (tetrahydrolipstatin, orlistat) are especially recommended to obese patients with accompanying hyperlipoproteinemia. Insulin-dependent form of diabetes is an indication for administration of drugs from this group. CONCLUSION: Of course, before applying drugs it is necessary to thoroughly consider indications and especially contraindications of their action. In respect to the treatment duration, three-month treatments are mainly recommended. Prolonged courses are acceptable only if well-controlled studies are in question.

Anti-Obesity Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Body fat mass in normal weight subjects.

Obesity is characterized by excessive body fat accumulation which may lead to serious health problems and complications. Body mass index is the most optimal parameter to evaluate the level of nutritional status and diagnose obesity. However, modern techniques studying body composition can more accurately determine whether the gain of body weight was on the account of body fat, lean body mass or total body water. If one's body mass index is in the range of normal values but the amount of body fat is above normal range, we talk about sarcopenic obesity. In order to evaluate presence of sarcopenic obesity, a group of 140 normal weight students of the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad were measured. Apart from standard anthropometrical parameters the amount of body fat was also determined by using the method of bioelectrical impedance analysis. Sarcopenic obesity was diagnosed in 25.71% of examined students. By using body mass index values this type of obesity cannot be diagnosed, and knowing that a higher amount of body fat in normal weight persons can lead to complications, especially metabolic, it is of great importance to evaluate the amount of body fat accurately.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Relations between parameters which define quantity and distribution of adipose tissue].

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is defined as an increase of body fat mass. Regional fat distribution, especially abdominal obesity, is a very important risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic complications in obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between some anthropometric parameters and body fat mass in normal weight and obese subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 60 obese and 60 normal-weight subjects of both sexes. All examinees underwent following anthropometric measurements: body height, body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter. We calculated values of body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), waist to stature ratio (WSR) and sagittal abdominal diameter to height ratio (SAD/H). Body fat percent (FAT%) was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We have established that FAT% has the strongest correlation with BMI in all examined groups. Comparing with other body fat distribution parameters, FAT% had the best correlation with waist circumference and WHR. 13.33% of normal-weight women and 10% of normal-weight men presented with borderline increased body fat mass, whereas 6.67% of normal-weight women had increased values (normal-weight obesity). Normal-weight subjects had higher values of anthropometric parameters, comparing with normal-weight subjects with normal FAT%. CONCLUSION: In order to achieve precise diagnosis of obesity it is necessary, apart from certain anthropometric measurements, to establish the body fat mass, using some methods of body composition analysis. In order to identify subjects with higher risk for obesity complications, it is necessary to analyze the size of intraabdominal fat depots. We found that waist circumference, as a good predictor of specific fat distribution, also has a very good correlation with total body fat mass.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Abdominal adipose tissue--significance and methods of detection].

INTRODUCTION: The presence of excess fat in the abdomen, out of proportion to total body fat, is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and other complications of obesity. HISTOANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ABDOMINAL ADIPOSE TISSUE: In regard to subcutaneous fat, accumulation of visceral abdominal adipose tissue is more associated with increased metabolic risk However, men have more visceral fat than premeno-pausal women. Compared with premenopausal women, postmenopausal women have 49% more intra-abdominal fat, regardless of age and total fat mass. MEASUREMENT OF ABDOMINAL FAT DEPOTS: Various anthropometric indicators have been suggested for measuring body fat distribution. All of them have advantages and disadvantages, in relation to their interpretation and use. Many are specified as ratios and are difficult to interpret biologically, whereas a change in body fat distribution may exhibit little or no change in the ratios. Waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter are good predictors of visceral fat. But, extreme individual variations in visceral to subcutaneous ratio demonstrate the limitations of external anthropometry. The best methods to estimate the amount of visceral fat are imaging techniques like computed tomography or magnetic resonance, but they are expensive and inconvenient in routine practice. CONCLUSION: Further investigations should provide a simple and optimal indicator of abdominal obesity which should correlate with the amount of viscelar fat and the risk.

Abdomen↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Endothelial dysfunction and diabetes].

ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION AND DYSFUNCTION: During the past two decades, there has been an increasing recognition of the importance of normal endothelial function in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis and vascular health. Abnormalities in the function of endothelium have been recognized in a number of conditions. One of the most important abnormalities of endothelial dysfunction appears to be changes in the bioavailability of nitric oxide. It now appears clear that abnormalities in endothelial dysfunction are associated with abnormalities in the production of nitric oxide and/or abnormalities in the rate of its degragation. Either way, loss of the functional availability of nitric oxide appears to be an important characteristic of endothelial dysfunction. ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND DIABETES: Impaired endothelial-dependent vasodilatation has been described in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and the degree of impairment may correlate with glycemic control. Hyperglycemia itself appears to affect multiple mechanisms that increase atherosclerosis. Hyperglycemia enhances oxidation, thrombosis, inflammation, matrix production, and the formation of advanced glycation end-products and other metabolites that can potentially damage the vasculature. TREATMENT OF ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION: A number of trials have demonstrated that therapy with lipid lowering agents (statins) as well as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors is associated with improvements in endothelial function in diabetes. These agents have also been shown to improve prognosis in patients with a number of underlying cardiac diseases and risk factors for cardiac disease. Therefore, it seems that interventions that lead to improvement in endothelial function can be associated with improvements in cardiovascular outcome. The role of antioxidant therapy is controversial. No data have been published regarding the effects of hormonal replacement therapy on endothelial dysfunction in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The significance of some anthropometric parameters and parameters ensuing from them in assessing cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes].

INTRODUCTION: Current clinical practice requires simple and available tools for cardiovascular risk assessment in diabetic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 290 type 2 diabetics of both sexes. The following anthropometric parameters were measured: body mass index, waist circumference, sagittal abdominal diameter, while ensuing parameters included: waist-to-stature ratio(WSH), ratio of abdominal sagital diameter to height (SADH), and conicity index. Metabolic status was evaluated based on lipidograms and HbA1c, and of cardiovascular parameters blood pressure was measured. RESULTS: Female patients were obese, with central accumulation of fat, elevated blood pressure and lipid disorders such as hypo-HDL cholesterolemia. The applied anthropometric parameters and indicators ensuing from them (WSH, SADH and conicity index), are reliable indicators of elevated blood pressure in diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: The obtained results showed negative correlation with HDL cholesterol in women, which indirectly indicates to development of hypertension, as one of the most common diabetic complications. Central accumulation of fat with dyslipidemic disorder, characteristic of metabolic syndrome, is of highest importance. Sagital abdominal diameter (SAD) and WSH showed the highest correlation with lipidograms in females, whereas BMI was the best indicator in males.

Anthropometry↗